Looking Back Looking Forward: Insights through COVID and Beyond

We have all had to try to manage to deliver services remotely and deal with the pitfalls of this and the impact on clients. Now we are faced with the need to support clients to feel safe enough to re-engage with face to face contact and try to repair any additional trauma and damage that might have been incurred as a result of the lockdown.

Part of a series of 2 webinars each with two speakers and time for questions and discussion and each focusing on different aspects of service delivery.

Guest Speakers

Health - Dr Lin Graham Ray

Designated Nurse Looked After Children Merton & Wandsworth, Independent Nurse Consultant Orb8 and IRCT Trustee

“It’s not just children in care, it’s everyone. You’ve just got to put up with it haven’t you?”— Girl, 16

Whilst the quote by the young person above tells us something of her current opinion, it also offers very valuable insights, on one hand we are all in this together and we are being treated the same and on the other a certain acceptance that also asks a question. Talking to children and young people about their health, wellness, anxiety and experiences of COVID 19 has had an influence of how we see the way in which we provide ongoing health care and support as health professionals, asking key questions and looking for a new way of working. This presentation looks at the experiences of Looked after Children and care leavers during Lock down and beyond, posing questions and offering further thinking.

Social Care - Elise McQueen

Quality Assurance Improvement Lead, Safeguarding Quality & Practice, West Sussex and IRCT Trustee

This presentation will draw people’s attention to the fact that the usual assessment of children to identify risk and trauma has been absent through COVID-19 and suggest that, as we come out the other side, we need to look at children with fresh eyes to ensure that we pick up on particular cues where abuse may have occurred but we are attributing this to COVID (which could be a trauma in itself) or previous concerns and lead to new traumatic experiences being overlooked.

As we come out of lockdown the impact of trauma and the future of these children is currently unknown. A child going into COVID-19 lockdown may not emerge the same child with the same level of need and requiring the same intervention. Traditional methods used to inform assessments and analysis have been absent during this time and whilst there is a level of optimism in respect of parents coping strategies Children’s Social Care is preparing for an increase in child safeguarding referrals as the extent of COVID19 and children’s lived experience and trauma begins to unfold.